Conventionally, grains are imaged using an imaging apparatus such as a scanner, and sorted using image information obtained by imaging. Patent document 1 describes that grains are extracted one by one from the image information resulting from the imaging of the grains, the extracted grains are sorted in units of grains, and the results of the sorting are displayed such that the grains are brought into lines in units of grains. This display method allows the sorted grains to be displayed as depicted in FIG. 12.
Even now, grains are visually checked. The visual check is performed using a sample pan called a carton such as that described in Patent document 2. The visual check using the sample pan is appreciated in that the check enables rough sorting at first sight using the grains loaded on the sample pan.
There has been a desire that, even when the check is performed using such optical means as described in Patent document 1, an image can be saved and displayed which depicts that the sample grains used for the check have been loaded on the sample pan.
However, much time and effort are needed to load, on the sample pan, the sample grains imaged by the imaging apparatus such as a scanner and then to image the sample pan with the sample grains loaded thereon using imaging means (a digital camera or the like) different from the above-described imaging apparatus. Furthermore, these pieces of image information need to be associated with each other for saving and display.